SKITS AND PUPPET SHOWS

Skits

Heather Bowen Mulvihill

TYPES OF PLAYS:

Role-playing

Pantomime

Charades

Traditional plays and skits Puppet shows

WHY DO WE HAVE PLAYS? Entertainment and Creative

expression Recognition Practicing public speaking Self-confidence and

Personal satisfaction Relate information Importance of team work

and cooperation Develops powers of

observation, coordination, and timing, listening skills

Achievements and Electives

ACHIEVEMENT AND ELECTIVES:

Tiger what to do if lost? How to react in house fire. Elective 20-Public Service Announcement Elective 21-Puppet show

Wolf elective 1e, mask for a skit Disability awareness story of Akela

Bear achievement 4, Tall tales achievement 8, local history achievement 11, Be ready elective 10, masks elective 13, magic

ACHIEVEMENTS AND ELECTIVES:

WEBS Showman

Puppetry Music Drama

Cub Scout Academics Belt Loop and Pin Music Disabilities Awareness Good Manners Nutrition Heritage Languages

CHOOSING A PLAY: Age of Scouts acting Target audience Avoid:

Racism Divorce Love Stories Sexuality and Profanity Unpatriotic themes Gruesomeness and Disrespect Physical Disabilities Nationalities Physical characteristics Religious beliefs

“If it isn’t fun for everyone, it isn’t fun.”

CHOOSING A PLAY CONT’D

Don’t be afraid to alter to fit your needs

Add characters

Rewrite lines

Add props

Add sound effects

Reassure the actors that the audience is

laughing with them not at them

SOUND EFFECTS Add appeal Give a spark Give a shy scout the roll of soundman Pre-record sounds How-to Book, page. 5-14, 5-29

Coconut shells--horse hoovesPaper crumples--fireBeans in cans--rain and hailMetal cookie sheets--thunderFan for windSpray bottle for mist or rain

SCENERY: Create your mood Set the scene

Bed sheet back dropCorrugated cardboardScience project tri-folds

Look for patterns in coloring books Have the scouts fill in with paint what

you have sketched Keep in mind the audience view Keep perspective and size in mind

COSTUMES:

Plastic garbage bags

Paper bags

Cardboard boxes

Wigs & Masks

Halloween Costumes

Dad’s closet

Goodwill

Salvation Army

Yard sales

No cross-dressing!

MAKE-UP: Halloween make-up Mom’s make-up Cornstarch for hair

powder

DO NOT USE:Latex paintSharpiesTempura paintMr. Clean erasersStrong odors

RESOURCES:

usscouts.org

Cub Scout Leader “How-To” book

Cub Scout song book

Group Meeting *Sparklers*

Cub Scout *Magic*

WRITE YOUR OWN PLAY:

Consider your available space Consider the boys in your den

Number of actors Give every boy a part

Kind of actors (scouts or puppet, or both) Pick a subject or end goal

What’s your title (either serious or funny)

Play length Keep it simple, keep it short

Your stage

WRITE YOUR OWN PLAY PART 2:

let the boys help write the skitavoid long dialogues

scenery props should be simple give stage direction

stimulate interest by walk-ons

be sure the audience can hear, coach the boys to speak loudly, clearly,

slowly

Use your Den Chief

PUPPETS SHOWS

PUPPETS, A HISTORY

No one knows

Egypt, China, India

Middle ages

Royalty

Scholars, poets, artists

TIPS FOR PUPPETEERS:

Let the boys decide on type of play and types of puppets used

Use informal lines

Keep puppets and theaters in proper scale

Give puppeteers room

Frequent exits and entrances of puppets

Keep actions clear, simple and exaggerated

STAGES:

Hand puppet stagesTable with cloth over frontCardboard box

A doorway With a table or hanging twin sheets

LIGHTING:

Darken the room Illuminate the puppets

Goose neck lampsFlashlightsSmall spot lightsChristmas lightsBlack lightsDimmer switches

Don’t set lights where they shine in the audience’s eyesUse tin cans as house lights

TYPES OF PUPPETS:

AND FINALLY:

Practice, practice, practice

Don’t wait till the last minute, it’s

not fair to the scouts……or the

audience!